Comments on: In the studio with… Vincent Hawkinshttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/
Abstract Critical is a not-for profit company aiming to establish a new critical context for all generations of artists involved with ambitious abstract art.Sun, 09 Nov 2014 17:23:33 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.2By: jon saundershttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-595425
Fri, 30 May 2014 17:52:11 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-595425just so insightful , amazing and true. This is why I like art why I want to create myself. unpretentious , funny at times yet profound and beautiful.
]]>By: Rick Cimballhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-50450
Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:38:13 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-50450As one who has pursued art for many years with a few distractions along the way. I find Vincent Hawkins approach to his art refreshing and inspirational. Allowing yourself to be less precious about art is very noble indeed. I look forward to seeing more of his free spirited works.
]]>By: Terry Greenehttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-9199
Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:19:53 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-9199The vdeo conveys just what a jolly nice fella Vincent is and provides many insights into his beautifully achieved work.
]]>By: Ian David Bakerhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7437
Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:01:16 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7437very interesting interview, I’d like to see more of the drawings developed further. I love nosing around other people’s studios too. I was also drawn to the nice colourful scarf too.
On the Guardian website there is a good short about Sean Scully.
Ian
]]>By: Pennyhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7418
Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:14:34 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7418Thanks for your comment John. Within these films we try to show artists’ working practice as well as the work. They have proved to be really popular. When we are just talking about the work then we could of course just produce an audio file over some images which is not really what we are trying to achieve in this instance but will take your idea on board. Are there any artists that you would like to see on film or audio+images on the site?
]]>By: Martin De Seyhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7359
Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:15:38 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7359Fascinating interview Vince – great to see you pursuing your work with such vigour and yet also with such FUN! Who said that art of any worth can only be arrived at by a process of self-torture? Keep on keeping on – the process is as important as the ‘finished’ piece, sometimes more so.
]]>By: john hollandhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7348
Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:38:03 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7348I’ve just watched the film without any sound (due to a hopeless computer), and most of it is two talking heads- not many long shots of individual works. This gives the impression, unfairly maybe, that the paintings are not serious enough to be given the time and space to study them in detail, as Sam suggests.
After a little while, we know what the artist and the interviewer look like, and so I think most of the film could be devoted to the work itself while we listen to them talk.
]]>By: Seamus Greenhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7345
Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:57:13 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7345I suppose it is wrong for me to say that there are no conclusions in painting because of course there are, however I think I meant there is a difference between a viewers conclusions and a painters. In regards to a painter’s conclusions maybe it might feel like a dead-end in their practice, a place where success can be complacently repeated until it dies. I find one of the most compelling parts of painting to be the painters struggle to keep pushing on. Sorry that’s my 2 pence worth, I’ve enjoyed reading everyones responses and it is interesting to see your uncertainties about the work Sam.
]]>By: Sam Cornishhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7342
Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:34:51 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7342I suspect that Seamus and I mean very different things by urgency. (and Seamus is just responding to my use of it). Perhaps it is an unfortunate choice of word – I don’t think I am looking for expressionism, at least not consciously so, though admittedly many of the painters I like are expressionist. I suppose I am just saying (but maybe this is not saying very much) that for me there never seems to be any compelling resolution, no bit looks like it couldn’t just be moved a little bit here or a little bit there, everything is muted or scuffed up (and maybe this is a kind of expressionism, but simply a meek kind), so that each line, mark etc can just vaguely sit in its place.

Perhaps definite is a better word than urgent here. It seems to me that in this case the conditions of flexibility, touching and seeing, etc. are based upon never really coming to any particular conclusion. The avenues remain open but, for me, none look particularly worth going down. Here I would disagree with Seamus, to me it seems like you can have experiment and resolution, that good painters do come to conclusions, and that in some sense it is this conclusion, even if temporary, that makes paintings compelling.

It’s possible this is all circular and I’m not saying anything more useful than I just don’t like it – I’m really not sure…

]]>By: Seamus Greenhttp://abstractcritical.com/article/in-the-studio-with-vincent-hawkins/#comment-7312
Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:29:08 +0000http://abstractcritical.com/?p=3413#comment-7312Hi Sam, I’ll try to start by responding to where I think Vincent hits it on the head or clicks into place – in quite simple terms I’m really interested in the way it feels like he has these tools (certain lines, similar forms, a definite palate) which are always prevalent within the work but why does one image strike a chord yet another doesn’t – for me it is a deeper feeling than I can articulate in words, but I feel the ones that hit home are the works that I look at and think I should of made that – every decision I would of made, every mark and colour is just as I would of used. Something resonates for me in his approach to paintings, I thought it was really interesting that his paintings feel much more like drawings, but his drawings on paper were actually more controlled, as if he is precious with them – they felt governed by decisions. It tends to be the opposite way round and I think his paintings flourish for this reason, he approaches them with a sense of searching without constraint, freedom and of course a very playful nature. I loved how he described starting with ‘doubt and uncertainty’ but I also think they finish in that state, I see his works as by-products of this journey that he (for me) is clearly engaging in and so when I look at his work I get a sense of looking at a brief glimpse of his creative deposits before he moves onto the next.

I think every painter is searching but I don’t think they are searching to find anything any thing in particular, so I guess in response to your thoughts about him not getting to a conclusion I would have to say well yes, but who does get to a conclusion? What is so refreshing about his work is it doesn’t feel like he is at all worried about a commercial venture or pleasing a gallerist because that style is selling, his practice seems pure from these concerns and that makes it very exciting to see this raw output.

Finally I just want to say that something you said in a previous discussion on abcrit, I think it was on the lines of maybe painting might develop through a break down of boundaries where the painter feels no differentiation between standards, traditions,abstraction, figuration etc (correct me if I’m wrong and you didnt mean this) I do think Vincent may not be a revolutionary maker of new standards but I do certainly feel like he reacts against concerns that he has with abstract painting and in his own way breaks from them.

It is good to talk about these things and I do agree with some of the views you’ve put across, but as you’ve pointed out there is a lot of subjectivity.